Statistical considerations in apologetics

[Guest Matteo97]

The biblical case for many catholic doctrines (particularly doctrines on Mary) is based mainly on biblical typology and allusions: it's a cumulative case. However, many protestants have a verse-proof mentality, and seem incapable of taking a comulative case into serious consideration. Has anyone ever considered trying to evaluate the probability of some things in the Bible being just coincidences? For example, regarding the Eucharist, there is the famous poieo-anamnesis fact ( https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/did-jesus-make-the-apostles-priests-at-the-last-supper ). Has anyone ever tried to formally evaluate the probability of two different words loaded with sacrificial overtones to be in the same verse of the Bible by chance? Another example could be the words episkiazo and anafoneo both referring only to the Ark in the Old Testament and only to Mary in the New.

My question is:

Is there any trace in the existing literature of statistical considerations of any kind to support apologetic arguments based on allusions and biblical typology? 

[Theoketos]

Short answer. Yes the Patristics and Medieval did somethings like this, but with less meta-analysis. (Look the Golden Chain arranged by Aquinas or His commentary on Ephesians.) Modern literary criticism by both believers of all churches and non-believers does do things like statistical analysis (especially in regards to subjects like the Synoptic Question). Its highly erudite and accessible only through academic periodicals.

To start pear into that world I would start with Catholic Biblical Quarterly and Ratzinger's Jesus of Nazareth series (3 books) and look at the recent work of the authors he cites. Ratzinger raises some interesting points in regard to the problems reconciling the accounts of the last supper in the volume about Christ's passion.

Verse proofing on both sides tends cause the Bible to be read both without its original intention (discovered by exegesis) and with the context of the whole of faith (which includes the Magisterium, Tradition, and Scripture itself.) Additionally no document can be understood without the context of how a community interprets it. This interpretation is often over looked in using verses as proof.